diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index aee056c..9a12f10 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ xx/xx/2018 autofs-5.1.5
 - allow period following macro in selector value.
 - fix macro expansion in selector values.
 - also use strictexpire for offsets.
+- change expire type naming to better reflect usage.
 
 19/12/2017 autofs-5.1.4
 - fix spec file url.
diff --git a/daemon/direct.c b/daemon/direct.c
index f92bcc0..210f20f 100644
--- a/daemon/direct.c
+++ b/daemon/direct.c
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ void *expire_proc_direct(void *arg)
 	struct expire_args ec;
 	struct autofs_point *ap;
 	struct mapent *me = NULL;
-	unsigned int now;
+	unsigned int how;
 	int ioctlfd, cur_state;
 	int status, ret, left;
 
@@ -872,7 +872,7 @@ void *expire_proc_direct(void *arg)
 		fatal(status);
 
 	ap = ec.ap = ea->ap;
-	now = ea->when;
+	how = ea->how;
 	ec.status = -1;
 
 	ea->signaled = 1;
@@ -966,7 +966,7 @@ void *expire_proc_direct(void *arg)
 
 			ioctlfd = me->ioctlfd;
 
-			ret = ops->expire(ap->logopt, ioctlfd, next->path, now);
+			ret = ops->expire(ap->logopt, ioctlfd, next->path, how);
 			if (ret) {
 				left++;
 				pthread_setcancelstate(cur_state, NULL);
@@ -992,7 +992,7 @@ void *expire_proc_direct(void *arg)
 		debug(ap->logopt, "send expire to trigger %s", next->path);
 
 		pthread_setcancelstate(PTHREAD_CANCEL_DISABLE, &cur_state);
-		ret = ops->expire(ap->logopt, ioctlfd, next->path, now);
+		ret = ops->expire(ap->logopt, ioctlfd, next->path, how);
 		if (ret)
 			left++;
 		pthread_setcancelstate(cur_state, NULL);
diff --git a/daemon/indirect.c b/daemon/indirect.c
index 7b1d34c..d38c212 100644
--- a/daemon/indirect.c
+++ b/daemon/indirect.c
@@ -402,7 +402,7 @@ void *expire_proc_indirect(void *arg)
 	struct mnt_list *mnts = NULL, *next;
 	struct expire_args *ea;
 	struct expire_args ec;
-	unsigned int now;
+	unsigned int how;
 	int offsets, submnts, count;
 	int retries;
 	int ioctlfd, cur_state;
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ void *expire_proc_indirect(void *arg)
 		fatal(status);
 
 	ap = ec.ap = ea->ap;
-	now = ea->when;
+	how = ea->how;
 	ec.status = -1;
 
 	ea->signaled = 1;
@@ -540,7 +540,7 @@ void *expire_proc_indirect(void *arg)
 		debug(ap->logopt, "expire %s", next->path);
 
 		pthread_setcancelstate(PTHREAD_CANCEL_DISABLE, &cur_state);
-		ret = ops->expire(ap->logopt, ioctlfd, next->path, now);
+		ret = ops->expire(ap->logopt, ioctlfd, next->path, how);
 		if (ret)
 			left++;
 		pthread_setcancelstate(cur_state, NULL);
@@ -554,7 +554,7 @@ void *expire_proc_indirect(void *arg)
 	pthread_setcancelstate(PTHREAD_CANCEL_DISABLE, &cur_state);
 	retries = (count_mounts(ap, ap->path, ap->dev) + 1);
 	while (retries--) {
-		ret = ops->expire(ap->logopt, ap->ioctlfd, ap->path, now);
+		ret = ops->expire(ap->logopt, ap->ioctlfd, ap->path, how);
 		if (ret)
 			left++;
 	}
diff --git a/daemon/state.c b/daemon/state.c
index cf835e0..ab23545 100644
--- a/daemon/state.c
+++ b/daemon/state.c
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ void expire_proc_cleanup(void *arg)
 	return;
 }
 
-static enum expire expire_proc(struct autofs_point *ap, int now)
+static enum expire expire_proc(struct autofs_point *ap, int how)
 {
 	pthread_t thid;
 	struct expire_args *ea;
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ static enum expire expire_proc(struct autofs_point *ap, int now)
 		fatal(status);
 
 	ea->ap = ap;
-	ea->when = now;
+	ea->how = how;
 	ea->status = 1;
 
 	if (ap->type == LKP_INDIRECT)
diff --git a/include/state.h b/include/state.h
index b44a353..e3079c2 100644
--- a/include/state.h
+++ b/include/state.h
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ struct expire_args {
 	unsigned int signaled;
 	struct autofs_point *ap; /* autofs mount we are working on */
 	enum states state;	 /* State prune or expire */
-	unsigned int when;	 /* Immediate expire ? */
+	unsigned int how;	 /* Normal, immediate expire ? */
 	int status;		 /* Return status */
 };